The problem was, old habits die hard, and I was prone to shutting people out when I got scared. Maybe it wasn’t the best coping mechanism, but it was mine.
FIFTEEN
Back To Reality
“Are you ready for Monday?” Amelie asked with a knowing smile as she watched me gather my things to leave for the day.
“I can’t even tell you how excited I am. Everything should be ready to go,” I told her with confidence as I pulled my shoulder bag from my desk drawer.
Vandergild and I had spent weeks preparing for the Beasley trial, and in just three days we would finally be putting all that hard work to the test. I had been determined to prove myself, eager to show my boss what I was made of, and as far as I was concerned, Monday could not get here fast enough.
Amelie and I walked over to meet Lisette at the reception desk so that we could all walk down together. They had seen the difference taking the stairs had made for my derriere, and had started joining me on the walks down, though neither of them was quite brave enough yet to try the upward climb.
As we approached Lisette’s desk, we heard the familiar ding of the elevator. When we turned to look, my pulse quickened as Jax walked onto the floor.
“Jax?” I said, acknowledging him with an implied question to see what this was about.
He gave me his most charming smile before looking between Amelie and Lisette. “Ladies,” he greeted as he approached close enough to take my right hand. “Perla, I was hoping I would catch you before you left today.”
He released my hand to reach into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out what appeared to be two tickets. I looked at him questioningly without a word.
“I’m hoping you’ll join me tomorrow afternoon for a Rangers game.” He waved the tickets in front of me before handing me one.
I started to shake my head to politely reject the offer, but he interjected.
“You know that I won’t take no for an answer, Ms. Fae. I’ve already made sure with your sister that your schedule is clear.”
I watched as something almost imperceptible in his eyes went from humor to almost pleading as he stood in silence, awaiting my reply. Why did this man have to be so damn sexy? I wanted to go, but I just couldn’t. It would make things even more complicated between us, and harder for me to keep living with the self-deprivation that I felt was directly linked to my self-preservation.
Then my friends turned on me.
“That sounds like so much fun, Perla! You should go,” Amelie urged.
“Seriously, how can you turn that down? Get out and have some fun for once,” said Lisette.
I looked at both of them as they continued their silent barrage, encouraging me with their expressions and hand gestures to accept his offer. How was I supposed to say no to all three of them while they had ganged up on me like that?
I looked back to Jax. “Alright. I’ll go,” I acceded.
The briefest smile lit up his face before he composed himself. “Excellent. I’ll pick you up at eleven tomorrow morning.”
At that, he turned and ambled back to the elevator, which was somehow still there waiting for him. When the doors closed and he was gone, I turned to see Amelie and Lisette staring at me, open-mouthed in disbelief.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Lisette squealed.
“You’ve been holding out on us, Ms. Fae,” Amelie teased as she mocked the way Jax had called me by my surname.
“Do y’all seriously know who that was?” Lisette continued, still in shock.
“Everyone calm down. It’s not what it looks like,” I assured them.
“It looks like you have a date tomorrow with one of Dallas’s most eligible bachelors,” Amelie chimed in.
I stood for a moment trying to think of a comeback that would dissuade them from what I knew they were thinking. I had nothing.
“Okay, it might be a little bit what it looks like,” I admitted, which sent them both into a jumble of talking at once, nothing coherent that I could discern. “But...” They silenced. “But don’t get your hopes up, because things just wouldn’t work out between Jax and me like that.”
“Who says things have to work out? With a man that good-looking and rich, you just have to sit back and enjoy the ride until it’s time to get off,” Lisette quipped suggestively as she walked around her desk to leave.
“Lisette!” Amelie and I both cried out in unison.
* * *
Saturday afternoon, I found myself sitting beside Jax at the Ranger’s Stadium in Arlington. He had gotten us seats right behind home plate, a few rows up, which were probably the best seats I’d ever had the privilege of sitting in at a Ranger’s game before. Even in the stifling afternoon heat, it was exhilarating, and I wasn’t sure if it was the energy of the crowd, just being at the game, or being there with Jax that had me buzzing with excitement.
It was almost a shock when Jax had shown up at my apartment that morning to pick me up wearing khaki cargo shorts and a Ranger’s tee-shirt, tennis shoes, sunglasses, and a baseball cap. It was a stark contrast from the formal suits I was used to seeing him wear, and even from the more casual clothing he wore on our trip to New Zealand. He looked so normal, and I had to admit, I liked it. I was almost able to forget all the reasons I kept resisting him in the first place, at least for the time being.
At one point during the game, when he turned to smile at me from behind his Oakleys, he took my hand in his and interlocked his fingers through mine. I couldn’t hold back my returning smile as I leaned into him, hoping this minor concession was not a mistake. It was times like these that made me feel like it would be so easy to just give in to him and let him be a part of my life like I knew we both wanted on some level, but there was still that little piece of me that just couldn’t bring myself to surrender to my innermost feelings. I just couldn’t let go of that need to protect myself, to protect my heart.
The game, at least, was one that kept everyone on the edges of their seats, and Jax had made sure to keep my beer refilled throughout the game. By the eighth inning, my bladder was calling, and I excused myself for a restroom break. As I made my way back to my seat, squeezing past the others sitting on the same row as we were, one of our players hit what appeared to be a home run, and I was knocked off balance as the crowd all jumped up out of their seats in unison, yelling, cheering, and throwing their arms up in the air in celebration. As I began toppling forward, I panicked, picturing myself being sent flying down the stands below me, until two strong hands took hold of me and held me steady, keeping me from taking a painful spill.
Jax held me there, leaning into me, and suddenly the attention of the people around us was diverted to the jumbo screens above us that were showing a couple from two rows back where the guy was proposing to his girlfriend. It was just close enough that we were visible on the camera, and as I looked around, I noticed all eyes around us in our section had turned from the screens to the couple. All eyes, except for two, that remained planted firmly on me.
When my eyes met his, a moment passed between us, and I could see the depth of feelings he felt for me in that moment, protecting me from a fall, holding me in his strong, masculine arms. I felt myself longing to get lost in his eyes, but the moment was broken all too soon when the girlfriend two rows back apparently said yes to her proposal, causing the crowd to go wild again.
Once the game was over, we stood to leave, but instead of heading up towards the exit, Jax pulled me in the opposite direction toward the field.
“What are we doing?” I asked him, noticing the wry grin that had spread across his face.
“I have a surprise for you,” he answered. “I’m good friends with one of the players, Tom Winston. I called him a couple of days ago to arrange a meet and greet with some of the other players.”
“Are you serious right now?” I squealed in excitement, trying to curb the urge to jump up and down.
He nodded. “Come on. Let’s go meet some baseball players,” h
e said, taking my hand and pulling me onward.
He may not have known it, but Jax had just scored huge points with me. I could feel the carefully constructed armor chipping away little by little, and I was too stinking excited at the moment to worry about it. There would be time to worry later.
???
It appeared my luck was changing. After my break-in to Perla’s apartment had proved fruitless, I had been racking my brain to find another way to take my life back, and the little bitch held the key. I’d torn that place inside out and couldn’t find what I was looking for. I had to find a way to get to her.
And there it fell right into my hands like a fly ball, as I sat there in Ranger’s Stadium, watching the jumbo screen. There she was. And with Jax fucking Maddox of all people, holding her in a tender embrace like the bastard was in love with her or something. Could it get any easier for me?
Yes, I had some work to do, and Perla Fae’s days had just been numbered.
SIXTEEN
The Monster Returns
PERLA
On the way to work that Monday, it was all I could do to control my jitters of excitement. The day was finally here, and in just a couple of hours I would be sitting in a courtroom with Vandergild, helping him present evidence for the Beasley trial.
I couldn’t sleep the night before, so I had gotten up and taken an early bus to work that morning. I spent the ride across town going over the details of the case in my mind, trying not to seem too anxious. I did my best to suppress the urge to bounce my knees in anticipation. I knew today would be a turning point for my career, and I wanted everything to be perfect.
My mind was preoccupied on files when I stepped off the bus and made my way toward the entrance of Maddox Tower. At the sight of the building, a memory of Jax from the weekend flashed through my mind, sending a smile to my lips, and I tried to push it to the back of my brain to keep my focus on the trial before me.
There was hardly anyone on the street or sidewalks yet, being so early. I figured I would have some time to look through the paperwork one more time before Vandergild arrived.
I didn’t notice anything amiss on the walk from the bus stop to the building, and was caught off guard when I felt a large, forceful hand grab me by the arm, yanking me off balance toward a black Tahoe parked at the curb. My shoulder bag fell to the ground, its contents scattering all over the sidewalk, and I watched as my cell phone went sliding several feet away.
Panic consumed me, and I froze in fear, unable to attempt an escape or even fight off the attack at that point, still unsure of what was happening. When I looked up to see the twisted face of Richard Sullivan, I was confused. He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, along with a dark jacket that seemed out of place for such a warm, August morning.
“Mr. Sullivan? What…?” I tried to ask as he shoved me into the back seat with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of my lungs.
I had no idea what was going on, but I had to get away. I struggled against him, trying to push my way back out of the vehicle. That’s when he pulled a gun out from the back of his waist band and pointed it at my face.
“You scream or you run, you’re dead,” he spat through gritted teeth.
Holy. Shit. Things had just gotten real.
My hands went up like an ineffective shield in an attempt to show my unwilling but powerless cooperation. That’s when he grabbed my wrists and bound them with a plastic zip tie he pulled from one of his pockets.
What was happening? Why was he doing this?
He shut the door in my face, and as he ran around to the driver’s side, my bound hands went to the door handle but soon realized the child safety locks must have been in place. I couldn’t escape, and no one was around to witness what was happening. Even if they were, the windows were so darkly tinted, it wouldn’t have mattered at that point anyway.
I had an overwhelming feeling that this was it. I didn’t understand why Richard Sullivan was abducting me with a gun, but a feeling deep in the pit of my soul knew he was going to kill me. I had to think fast, and my options were limited with the zip tie cutting into my wrists and my cell phone lying on the sidewalk in front of Maddox Tower.
As the Tahoe screeched away from the curb, I felt the panic swell and could hear my rapid heartbeat in slow motion like the sound was amplified and drowning out all other sound. I moved as far away from him as I could get in the back seat, leaning defensively against the passenger side door.
“Mr. Sullivan, I don’t understand,” I cried. “What do you want with me?”
“I want the necklace. Where is it?” he spewed like venom.
“Necklace? What necklace?” I asked in desperation.
“The one in the photo. You were wearing it, and it’s mine. Now, where the fuck is it, little girl?” he yelled, glaring at me through the rearview mirror.
I shook my head, racking my brain before it hit me. The photo! The one on my office desk. Mr. Sullivan had picked it up that day it had fallen and broke, the day of their meeting.
“That was my mother’s necklace, Mr. Sullivan. She gave it to me when I was younger,” I explained in as calm of a voice as I could muster. Maybe this was all just a big misunderstanding, and he would let me go, but if this really was over a necklace, I had a sinking feeling the man’s mental state might be in question, which also wasn’t a good sign.
“Where do you think your mother got it from? She got it from me!” he fumed.
“I don’t understand. You knew my mother?” I asked.
“Oh, I knew Esther. We dated before she met your piece of shit father,” he answered. “Enough of the chit-chat. Where is it?”
I knew exactly where the necklace was, stored in a locked safe at Uncle Dante’s. I wasn’t about to tell him that and lead him straight to my uncle’s door for him to be in danger, too.
“I don’t have it anymore. We donated it, sir. It’s gone,” I lied.
Both of his hands hit the steering wheel in frustration, frightening me further. He began mumbling to himself, something about his next option as he sped down the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic.
Afraid of what his next option might be, I decided I had to keep him talking.
“Why is the necklace so important to you?” I asked.
“The necklace belonged to my mother. It was a priceless family heirloom. I didn’t think she’d ever miss the damn thing when I gave it to Esther all those years ago. When she finally realized years later I had given it away, she wrote me out of her will. The bitch had already cut me off before I married Aurora, which was why I married that cunt in the first place. I tried to get the necklace back then, but when I broke in thinking Esther and Martin were out of town, I ran into… complications.”
Realization hit me. “You killed my parents,” I whispered.
He gave a menacing smile but said nothing.
“But they found the other jewelry just a few weeks ago. Some drug lord…”
He sneered. “Sure, I grabbed what I could, in a hurry to get the hell out of there. As soon as I realized that none of it was what I was looking for, I tossed it all in the first dumpster I found the moment I left that house.”
Tears burned a hot stream down the side of my face. “But why did you have to kill them? I don’t understand. It was just a necklace.”
He shrugged like none of it mattered. “I had thought they were all away on summer vacation at the time. Imagine my surprise when I came face to face with Martin Fae. All I could do was bludgeon the guy to death, not having a gun or any other weapon, aside from the crowbar I had used to pry a window open to get in the house. Glass break features on security systems only do so much if the glass doesn’t actually break. It was a damn shame when Esther came down to see what the commotion was. It pained me to have to beat the life out of her as well, but I couldn’t risk being caught.”
As his story all fell into place, it made me physically sick. I thought I was going to retch right then and there, and if I had eaten a
nything to have in my stomach that morning, I would have. I had always had a morbid curiosity of my parents’ final moments, but now that I had the answers, it felt like a solid blow to the chest.
It all made sense now. Mr. Sullivan was nothing but a money-hungry bastard. His mother had cut him off, cut him out of her will, and now his rich wife was divorcing him, taking her money with her. The necklace was his last hope. The son-of-a-bitch had killed my parents over a stupid necklace.
What was worse, I knew he would not be telling me any of this if he had any intentions of letting me live. He’d killed before for money and he had nothing left to lose. I knew I was as good as dead.
My survival instincts took over and I tried the handle again without any luck. I had to get out of that car. My life literally depended on it. We had to be going eighty miles an hour, but at that point he had exited off the freeway and was getting into the areas where even the residential neighborhoods were starting to thin out. If I could somehow get the door open and jump out, there was a good chance it would kill me, or at least give me a hell of a road rash and some broken bones. But if I stayed, I was as good as dead anyway.
I scooted myself towards the middle of the seat and shifted my legs over. I began trying to kick the window, wishing like hell I hadn’t worn the flimsy stiletto heels I had on that day. I could hear Mr. Sullivan yelling at me, but I was too focused on getting that door or window open, I couldn’t hear any of it.
I felt the car swerve as the butt of his gun hit me upside my temple and the world went dark.
LISETTE
“Amelie, have you heard from Perla this morning?” I asked, eyeing Perla’s empty desk from across the way where Amelie sat.
“No, I figured that she and Vandergild might have already headed to the courthouse this morning,” Amelie said.
Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance Page 16
